Headlight indicator and ornament



June 15, 1937. v H. E. sxHENEHoN 2,083,673

HEADLIGHT IDICATOR AND ORNAMENT Filed May 22, 1956 r 5f @i 5%/ Patentedl `une 15, 1937' UNITEDf.fjftsi'rATi:s'.` PATENT ori-*ice zlosfvj4 iiEAnLIGHT INDICATOEAND Howard E. Shenehon, MinneapolitrMinn., Application May 22,1936,l serial No. 81,182

i claims. lernt-afb] This invention relates to a vehicle headlight and'particularly toanautomobile headlight having an ornamental i'ne'ans'thereon which acts as an indicator to the driver that the headlights are 5 illuminated.

The-modern automobile headlightsare now of elongated elliptical form at their rear ends andl the front 'or `lens Aparts vof the headlights have, their surfaces forming a continuation ofthe sur! face of the headlight casing and are rounded so as to be substantiallysemispherical. thus no break in surface or contour between the surface of the headlight 'casing and lens.` The outline 'or surface is continuous and the whole together forms" a sort of bullet-shaped member.

It is'ftosuch a modern headlight'that the pres-` ent invention relates.

ornament of pleasing'appearance and will at the same time form an indicator'for indicating to the' driver of the automobile that the head-l lights 'are lighted.

It is a further object of the invention to pro" thickness adjacent its front end and being made l of translucent material whereby the light from said lens-will illuminate the body of said membery so thatsaid illumination may be observed by the driver of the automobile.

it is stili another object of the invention fiol provide a headlight casing and lens of the elongated bullet-shaped type .with Asuch a member as 40 set forth inthe preceding paragraph, which'meinber engages the headlight casing and lens and is preferably secured thereto by an adhesive.

These and other objects vand advantages of` the invention 4will be fully set forth inv the fo l lowing description made in connection with the 'accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similarparts throughoutv vthe several views and inv which-v Fig. l is a view in sidek elevation of "a headlight casing and lens embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a. top plan View of the ldevice shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. s isl aview similar i0 Figli showing a;

modied form` of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan viewof the device shown.l

'in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation"ofv another modified form of the` invention; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan'view" of the device shown in Fig. 5.

There is Itis an object of this vinvention toprovide a member which will constitute both 'a stream-line Relier'in to the drawing, in Fig. 1 a headlight f shown which is 'formed as one end of anelorigated e"1li`psoic i. 4 Said casing terminates I, Y llplanej'lin'dicated by line Illotand the lenslforining partv` II of thev headlight is of 5.-, substantially semi-spherical form and its surface is jsub'fstantially'rush 'with and forms an approximate`- continuation of the surface of casing IQ sjojthat'the combined device including members' I0"and"II has a continuous-outline and 10 mightl be'said to be substantially bullet-shaped. A small "bead IIJb is shownwhich does not appreciably fchange said outline. The described form of'jheadlight lcasing and lens is that now commonly used on modern automobiles. 15

In accordance with the' present invention va member I2' is provided which is disposed on top of casing'fl and centrally'thereof transversely. Member I2 will be made' yofysome translucent material'orto-f a material penetrable by light, 20 and While many materials might be used, any l onev of'the modern translucent plastic compositions, suchasthe articial resin materials, is preferable.y Member I2 is* of velongatedform andv tapers'towardits rear end. At its front end it has a'portion- IZdwhich' extends over and a short distance downwardly on the lens portion II 'of the headlight. Member I2 is shown as ma'de of a plurality of'layers or portions, each ofwhich is smaller than the one which it over- 30 lies so that said member tapers upwardly toward'a central longitudinalvertical-plane. Each of said layers or formations 'tapers in vertical thickness rearwardly so that the greatest lthickness vor height of member I2 isgadjacent its front 35 end. s "I'h'e member' I2 forms a very .ornamental device'forfthe headlight and harmonizes with the elongated'tapered formthereof so that it is in effect stream-lined. When' lthe headlight is 40 lighted, some of the raysf passing through the lens I I -willpass into member I2 and the body thereof which is permeable to light will be illuninated and thisn illumination can be observed byfthe `driver ofthe automobile. Said member 45 willthus'form an indicatorto inform the driver 'wheiiine ,headlignis'are lighted,

11n' 3 and. 4 thefcasingA I0 and lens portion II vare also` shown'. A member I4 of translucent mate'rial'or'` material permeable by light is also 50 shown. Member I4 has aportion Ma extending centrallyvat the top 'of andv longitudinally` of casing I0, the same being roundedl in transverse cross `section andtapering to a rounded point at itsfrear end.` Anothery portion I4bV is integral 55 with and overlies'fportion Marat its forward end. The forwardv end of portion Illay extends over and a short distance downwardly on the lens portion vII 4`and"portio`n IlIb also extends onto and in contact with lens portion Il and then 6C is lighted. The rays of light passing through lens I! will illuminate the front end of member I4 and this illumination will be transmitted back into member I4 so as to be observable by the driver of the automobile. y l

In Figs. 5 and 6 the easing II) is shown and a lens portion I5 of slightly different form than lens portion- II is shown. Lens portion I5 has a rounded but .somewhat flatter front portion than lens II but its surface is flush with and forms a; continuation of the surface of casing I so that members I0 and I5 form a body of continuous outline. A band between lines -Ill and Ic is shown which may be plated or finished in a different color than the remainder of casing I D. A member I6 is provided which will belmade ofthe same material as already described for 'members I2 and I4.V Member I 6 has its greatest thickness in height at its front end where it extends a short distance over and downwardly on lens portion I5.v Said, member tapers in thickness rearwardly to its rear end. Member I also tapers in width toward its rear end and is formed with a plurality of stepsor'layers Ilia, each of which is narrower than the one which it overlies. The central rib or layer I6b has a downwardly extending offset ISc adjacent its front end and the adjacent step or layer at each side of said central rib or layer has a similar downwardly and rearwardly inclined offset I6d. The central rib Ib at its rear end has its top surface merging into the top surface of the adjacent side `steps or layers. kThe layers or s teps of member I 6 terminate at different distances from the front of said member, the lower layer terminating nearest the front and the upper steps or layers terminating farther from the front of said member. l

The use and operation of thedevice shown in Figs. and 6 is substantially the same as those shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The light from the lens will illuminate the body of member rI6 so `that the illumination can be observed by the driver who will thenA know that the headlight is lighted. Member I6 also forms a highly ornamental stream-lined device for the headlight.

From the above description it is yseen thaty applicant has provided a simple and ingenious headlight device which not only greatly adds to the appearance of the car but also forms a headlight indicator. The members I2, I4 and I6 may be made of different colors to suit the particular color used in the nish of the automobile. The designs can also be varied for the different )types of automobiles. While said members may be secured in various ways, they will preferably be secured to the headlight by a suitable adhelsive. Said members are in engagement with the headlight and appear as an integral part thereof. of utility for the purpose intended.

It will, of course, be understood Athat various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, Without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a de- The invention will thus have a high degree vice capable of carrying out the objects above set forth in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. The combination with an automobile headlight casing of elongated tapering form having n its end in a substantially vertical plane and a lens of substantially semi-spherical form having itsv surface substantially flush with and forming a substantial -continuation of the surface of said casing, of an elongated comparatively narrow member of translucent material extending longitudinally along the top of said casing centrally thereof and having a portion extending onto and a short distance downwardly over the front of said lens, said member having a lower surface conforming to the surface of said casing and lens kand being secured directly thereto whereby the light from said lens: will illuminate the body of said member so as to be seen by the driver and whereby an ornament is provided.

2. The combination with an automobile headlight casing and lens of circular form in transverse cross section and having a substantially `continuous surface with a rounded front and of 'elongated tapered form at its rear end, of an elongated ornamental member made of mate- =rial permeable by'j light and of comparatively narrow width extending longitudinally at the top of said casing and extending downwardly a short distance on said lens, said member having its thickest portion adjacent its front end and tapering rearwardly both in thickness and in width, said member having a lower surface conforming to the surface of said casing and lens and directly engaging and directly secured to said casing and lens whereby said member will be illuminated by light passing through said lens and its illumination can be observed by the driver of said automobile.

3. The combination with an automobile headlight casing having the shape of one end of an elongated ellipsoid and having a lens portion at one end with its surface extending substantially continuous with the surface of said casing and having a rounded front end of an elongated member made of material permeable by light disposed on the top of said casing and tapering 'toward its rear end, said member extending over and a short distance downwardly on said lens and having a lower surface conforming to the surface of said casing and lens and being directly secured to said casing by adhesive, said member tapering upwardly in width whereby said member will be illuminated by light passing through said lens and its illumination can be observed by the driver of said automobile.

4. The combination with an automobile headlight casing having the shape of one end of an elongated ellipsoid and having a lens portion at one end with its surface extending therefrom and having a rounded front of an elongated narrow member made of material permeable by light, disposed on the upper side of said casing and extending longitudinally thereof and a short distance over and downwardly upon said lens, said member having a lower surface conforming to the surface of said casing and lens and means directly securing said member in position on said casing whereby said member will be illuminated and such illumination may be seen by the driver of the automobile.

HOWARD E. SHENEHON. 

